Cushioned cartons



21, 1956 T. VANDER LUGT, JR 2,759,654

CUSHIONED CARTONS Filed April 30, 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 IN V EN TOR. I

21, 1956 'r. VANDER LUGT, JR 2,759,654 I.

CUSHIONED CARTONS Filed April I50, 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 5 J I6 I "'1 3 N44 United States Patent CUSHIONED CARTONS Thomas Vander Lugt, Jr., Kalamazoo, MlClL, assignor to Sutherland Paper Company, Kalamazoo, Mich.

Application April 30, 1951, Serial No. 223,7 03

Claims. (Cl. 229-37) This invention relates to improvements in cushioned cartons.

The main objects of this invention are:

First, to provide a cushioned carton which is formed of an integral blank and is adapted to receive and support a frangible object and effectively guard or support the same against shocks.

Second, to provide a collapsible carton including an article supporting and cushioning cell which may be quickly set up to receive the packaged article and one in which the cell is adapted to receive and support articles varying considerably in diameter and size.

Further objects relative to details and economies of this invention will appear from the description to follow. The invention is defined in the claims.

A structure which embodies the features of my invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. l is a perspective view of a carton embodying my invention in fully erected position and with an article arranged therein, the top closure flaps being open.

Fig. 2 is a horizontal section on a line corresponding to line 2-2 in Fig. 1.

Fig, 3 is a transverse section through the carton in collapsed form.

Fig. 4 is a plan view of the blank, the first folding step being indicated by broken lines.

Fig. 5 is a plan view of the blank after the first folding step with the second folding step indicated by broken lines.

Fig. 6 is a plan view of the blank after the third folding step with the fourth folding step being indicated by broken lines.

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary sectional view corresponding to that of Fig. 2 illustrating the adaptability of the carton to receive objects of different sizes.

The embodiment of my invention illustrated is especially adapted as a collapsible carton having an object cushioning or supporting cell, the cell being erected when the carton is erected.

The carton is formed of an integral blank or member shown in Fig. 4, cut and scored to provide hingedly connected side walls 1, 2, 3 and 4, and hingedly connected cell walls 5, 6, 7 and 8, and a sealing member 9 which is, in the embodiment illustrated, of a dimension corresponding to the side walls. This permits the sealing member being lapped upon and secured to the outer side of one of the side walls as is shown in Fig. 2, without presenting an edge intermediate the side wall upon which it is lapped, as would be the case if a relatively narrow sealing flap were used. The side walls, cell Walls and sealing member 9 are aligned in the blank and are hingedly connected by scores conventionally illustrated at 10. The side walls ii and 3 are provided with end closure members 11, and the side walls 2 and 4 are provided with end closure members 12. These are designed to be arranged in overlapping position when the carton is closed and adhesively secured together. The closure members 12 are the inner closure members, and the closures 11, the

2,759,654 Patented Aug. 21, 1956 outer. The closure members are hingedly joined to the side walls by the scores 13. As shown in Fig. 2, the integral blank or member from which the carton is formed extends continuously a plurality of times around the carton. Starting at the outer end of the integral member the sealing member comes first. This is followed successively by first, second, third and fourth outer side walls designated respectively by the numerals 4, 3, 2 and 1 on the drawing. The fourth side wall designated by the numeral 1 is followed successively by first, second, third and fourth inner cell walls designated respectively by the numerals 8, 7, 6 and 5 on the drawing.

The cell walls and the side walls are folded and secured together desirably by adhesive so that the completely glued carton may be collapsed as shown in Fig. 3, and the walls erected merely by pressure on the opposite edges of the collapsed carton.

The carton is designed for complete gluing and folding by machine, adhesive being applied at 14 to the sealing member 9, at 15 to the side wall 3, and at 16 to the side wall 1.

The first step in folding is to fold the cell wall 5 upon the cell wall 6. The cell walls 6 and 7 with the cell Wall 5 folded on 6, are then folded along the hinging score connecting the cell walls 7 and 8 as is indicated by broken lines in Fig. 5. This brings the edge portion of the wall 5 into overlapping relation to the adhesive 16. The side wall 1 with the cell walls folded thereon are then folded on the hinging connection for the side walls 1 and 2 which brings the cell wall 7 into overlapping relation to the adhesive 15 on the wall 3.

The wall 4 with its sealing fiap is then folded over these previously folded portions which brings the sealing flap with the adhesive 14 thereon upon the outer side of the wall 1, which results in the collapsed glued carton as shown in Fig. 3.

In the preferred embodiment, a light score 17 is formed in the wall 7 and a similar score 18 in the cell wall 5 to facilitate the bending thereof adjacent the adhesive and to some extent relieving the adhesive of the pull which might result from inserting an object such as indicated at 19 in the cushioning cell of the carton. In Fig. 2 the object illustrated is formed of glass and it is illustrated as having a relatively thick wall. However the carton is designed to protect thin-walled objects of different diameters and sizes, as is indicated in Fig. 7, in which the walls are bulged or sprung outwardly to receive the object.

It will be noted that the cell walls are of less width than the side walls, so that when they are secured to the side walls they are out of contact with the side walls except at the points where these are secured thereto which is in diagonally opposite corners so that the article packaged is supported entirely by the cell walls except as it may rest on the bottom or engages the top. The cell walls are of somewhat less height than the side walls so that the end closure members may be closed over the object without being bulged outwardly and in supported relation to the ends of the cell walls.

I have not illustrated the end closure members in closed position, but it will be understood that they are folded in overlapping relation and secured in the embodiment illustrated by adhesive.

if desired, the outer pair of end closure members may be of the interlocking type or tongue and slit type, but I have not illustrated this form of closure members as they are well understood by those skilled in the art to which my invention relates.

I have embodied my invention in a highly practical commercial embodiment thereof. I have not attempted to illustrate or describe other embodiments or adaptations, as it is believed that this disclosure will enable those skilled in the art to embody or adapt my invention as may be desired.

Having thus described my invention, what 1 claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A rectangular collapsible carton comprising an integral member extending continuously a plurality of times around the carton and providing a sealing member at the outer end of the integral member followed successively by first, second, third and fourth outer side walls, the fourth side wall being followed successively by first, second, third and fourth inner cell walls, a hinged connection between said sealing member and said first side wall and between each two successive walls along the integral member, the sealing member being lapped upon and adhesively secured to the outer side of said fourth side wall, said second cell wall having lapped adhesive connection to said second side wall adjacent the hinged connection of said second side wall to said third side wall, said fourth cell wall having a lapped adhesive connection to said fourth side wall adjacent to the hinged connection of said fourth side wall to said first cell wall, the dimension of the cell walls in a direction at right angles to their hinged connections to each other being less than but approximating the dimension of the side walls in a direction at right angles to their hinged connections to each other, the cell walls when the carton is in an erected position being normally out of contact but approximately parallel with the corresponding side walls except at diagonally disposed corners of the carton where said second and fourth cell walls have said lapped adhesive connections to said second and fourth side walls, the cell walls when the carton is in a collapsed position being engaged with the side walls between their said lapped adhesive connections to the side walls, the dimension of the cell walls in a direction parallel to their hinged connections being less than the corresponding dimension of the side walls, said side walls being provided with end closure members, said first and third cell walls being transversely continuous and relatively unbendable as compared to the hinge connections between the cell walls.

2. A collapsible carton comprising an integral member extending continuously a plurality of times around the carton providing first, second, third and fourth outer side walls followed by first, second, third and fourth inner cell walls, a hinged connection between each two successive walls, said first, second, third and fourth cell walls being disposed adjacent and approximately parallel to said first, second, third and fourth side walls, respectively, the dimension of the cell walls in a direction at right angles to their hinged connections to each other being less than but approximating the dimension of the side walls in a direction at right angles to their hinged connections to each other, the cell walls being lapped upon and attached to the side walls adjacent to diagonally disposed corners of the carton, the cell walls when the carton is in erected position being normally out of contact but approximately parallel with the corresponding side walls except adjacent said diagonally disposed corners of the carton where the cell walls are lapped upon and attached to the side walls, the cell walls when the carton is in collapsed position engaging the side walls between the portions of the cell walls lapped upon and attached to the side walls, said first and third cell walls being transversely continuous and relatively unbendable as compared to the hinge connections between the cell walls.

3. In a collapsible carton, a plurality of hingedly connected outer side walls and a plurality of hingedly connected inner side walls, the hinged connections of the inner side walls to each other being disposed parallel and adjacent to the hinged connections of the outer side walls to each other, opposed inner side walls having relatively narrow portions thereof lapped upon and fixedly secured to the corresponding outer side walls adjacent diagonally opposite hinged connections of the outer side walls to each other, the dimension of the inner side walls in a direction at right angles to their hinged connections to each other being less than but approximating that of the outer side walls in a direction at right angles to their hinged connections to each other, the inner side walls in the erected carton being spaced from but approximately parallel with the corresponding outer side walls xcept Where so lapped upon and fixedly secured to the outer side walls, the inner side walls in the collapsed carton being engaged with the outer side walls between their said lapped and fixed connections to the outer side walls, said inner side walls being transversely continuous and relatively unbendable as compared to the hinge connections therebetween except along the edges of said narrow secured portions.

4. A collapsible rectangular tubular carton comprising hingedly connected side walls and a tubular cell within said side walls and comprising hingedly connected cell walls corresponding in number to the number of the side walls, the cell walls being lapped upon corresponding side walls, diagonally opposed edges of two cell walls being attached to the side walls adjacent dia onally opposite hinging connections of said side walls, the other two cell walls being unconnected to their corresponding side walls, the cell walls being of a width less than the width of the side walls adjacent thereto but approximating such width, the cell walls when the carton is erected being supported normally out of contact with the side walls except as to their portions disposed adjacent said diagonally opposite hinging connections and attached to the side walls, the side and cell walls being in approximately fiat form when the carton is collapsed, said cell walls being transversely continuous and relatively unbendable as compared to the hinge connections therebetween except along the edges of the portions of the cell walls attached to the side walls.

5. A collapsible rectangular tubular carton comprising hingedly connected side walls and a tubular cell within said side walls and comprising hingedly connected cell walls corresponding in number to the number of the side walls, the cell walls being lapped upon corresponding side walls, diagonally opposed edges of two cell walls being attached to the side walls adjacent diagonally opposite hinging connections of said side walls, the other two cell walls being unconnected to their corresponding side walls, the attached cell walls having scores therein adjacent their attachment to the side walls and substantially parallel to said hinging connections to facilitate flexing thereof, the cell walls being of a width less than the width of the side walls adjacent thereto but approximating such width, the cell walls when the carton is erected being supported normally out of contact with the side walls except as to their portions disposed adjacent said diagonally opposite hinging connections and attached to the side walls, the side and cell walls being in approximately flat form when the carton is collapsed.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 975,121 Carter Nov. 8, 1910 1,633,229 Rosenthal June 21, 1927 2,047,745 Poppe July 14, 1936 2,513,902 Tyrseck July 4, 1950 2,514,295 Scurich July 4, 1950 FOREIGN PATENTS 21,545 Great Britain Nov. 25, 1892 241,097 Great Britain Oct. 15, 1925 258,925 Great Britain Feb. 25, 1926 335,824 Great Britain Oct. 2, 1930 

